The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Spiritual Treasure Trove
Because The Spiritual Treasure Trove was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
The book is a compilation of Bible topics and is a thorough study of the word of God with scriptural verses, discussion questions, and exercises for each topic. I wouldn't have read the book based alone on its blurb and the genre as I wasn't into reading a religious book. Though, I liked how detailed the book is for those who might be interested in learning more about Christianity and have questions regarding everyday challenges faced by a Christian. The thing I liked the most is how straightforward the book is, and the formatting is also done well with sub-sections. It's really useful for anyone interested in a thorough study of the scriptures. I wasn't able to find any grammatical error and would rate the text as professionally edited. I saw an official OBC review and found it useful. But I've decided to not read the whole book as the premise doesn't interest me much. There's nothing I would suggest for improvements.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 11:48 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The title and cover tell the reader that this is a Christian book. The blurb mentioned "allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture," singling out the King James version as the source of all the Bible quotes. I am a Christian, so I would have sampled the book outside the program. A simple way of understanding the Bible is always welcome. The sample confused me utterly, though. I did not know what I was supposed to do with the Bible verses quoted and the many more which were not quoted but identified by chapter and verse. Where would I find the answers to the questions at the end of each chapter? I did not find the sample helpful at all. Thus, while the book is free, I do not think I will read it. I have no doubt that the author is thoroughly familiar with the Bible; the many Bible references included attest to that. But the book does not work for a non-Bible expert like me. If the author wishes to help people like me, the approach must be simpler. The official OBC reviewer found the book worthy of the top rating, but the review did not make me reconsider. I noted that the author was not consistent in quoting the Bible verses. Some periods were placed after the verse itself; some periods followed the chapter and verse. There were also numerals and phrases that were inserted into the text that did not make sense to me. For instance, page 21 had "What restriction or limitation did God place on Adam in the Garden of Eden? 27 Life Within Boundaries." I did not understand what "27 Life Within Boundaries" was for.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:58 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KafeliKe
The Spiritual Treasure Trove by Charles R. Smith sounds like a great book for Christians. In the opening pages of this book, the narrator talks about his own childhood experience when he was twelve years old. He asked God if he was there and what life was supposed to be about. The aspect of the first ten pages that I liked the most was the cover. It was well-designed and beautiful. The only aspect I didn’t like about this book in the few pages I read was the table of contents. It was lengthy. The editing of the book seems to have been professionally done, as I didn’t find any flaws in the first few pages that I read. This isn’t a genre I’m interested in reading. I’ll therefore not buy and finish reading it. Instead, I would recommend it to those who love reading Christian books. My decision not to buy and finish reading it was because of the genre. The cover and the official review, which was available on OnlineBookClub, did not have any effect on my decision. The book seems to be OK, and nothing needs to be improved about it.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:54 am by KafeliKe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Adrian Rondon Salazar
1- Yes. Why? I liked the blurb: I would be interested in deriving my convictions, and I would like to better understand the will of God; this book seems to have a different approach than others of its genre: "It is unique in that there is a reliance on the things actually written." 2- No. Why? The content of this book is nothing special and completely theoretical: only fragments of the Bible with questions everywhere. 3- I found no errors. 4- Nothing that I liked. 5- It would be great if the author provided more anecdotes, practical content, and allegories that make reading more enjoyable and not so many questions: I felt that it was an academic text. 6- Even though I didn't agree with what was mentioned in the official OBC review, it was very helpful.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:47 am by Adrian Rondon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Asma Aisha Ansari
I wouldn't have picked this book up based on the cover, title, genre and blurb because I'm not interested in reading religious books. As for the first ten pages, I didn't like the way it was presented. The discussion questions and the fill-in-the-blanks affected the reading flow. There's nothing in particular that I liked about the bit I read. Perhaps, it's for those who have a little more knowledge of the Bible than me. Because I'm not the target audience for this book and can't appreciate the book like others, I'm not going to read the rest of the book.
The book seems professionally edited, as I didn't encounter any errors so far. I've no suggestions for improvement to offer because the way this book is presented might be useful for those interested in this genre. The OBC review and customer reviews are encouraging but they had no impact on my decision. I looked everywhere online but didn't find any non-OBC editorial reviews for this book.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:41 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
I would not have read this book outside the First Ten program based on the cover page, title, and OBC review that I saw. This book is a Bible study guide, which is something I am not looking for at the moment. I love that the author has divided the Bible scriptures into topics. He suggests that this is the best approach towards studying the Bible. I did not find any errors and I believe it is professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement. I will not buy or read this book. I also didn't see any OBC blurb for this book.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:38 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hhannahh
Given that I'm not a nonfiction fan, I doubt I would have sampled this book outside of this program.
The book was segmented into topics, under which a few applicable verses were cited. The book's structure is such that one can jump to any topic without getting lost, which is one of the things I liked about it. The only downside for me was that this book was not as explanatory as I assumed from the OBC review. The book is rich in content, but for me, it is no different than sitting in church while my pastor calls out the verses.
I won't complete this book at this time because I am not compelled to. I could probably recall it for research on a topic of interest. I didn't notice any errors in this book's first ten pages. I think this book is perfect for what the author intended.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:37 am by Hhannahh.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabriella H
Neither the cover nor the title attracted me to this book. Therefore, without this program, I wouldn't have sampled this book. After reading the blurb and OBC official review, I felt this was a nice idea and appreciated the dedication of the author in creating such a tool. That being said, I already have my own system of bible study that works fine for me, so I still didn't feel the need to read this book. Additionally, I found the arrangement of the book confusing while sampling the first ten pages. "Don't Forget to Remember" is two chapters, and I figured the second one is meant to provide supporting scriptures as references. However, the bible verse under "Don't Forget to Remember (3)" wasn't provided, and under the second portion, which I figured was for providing references and summarizing, there is "Don't Forget to Remember (1-5)." I found the structure utterly confusing. I won't be completing this book. I wish there was a guide on how to use the book. My decision not to complete this book is based on the first ten pages. The OBC official review and blurb influenced this decision, while the customer review and lack of an editorial review did not influence my decision. The use of the singular term "soul" doesn't agree with this sentence, "May it never be said that we have forgotten the price paid and the One who paid the price for the purging of the sins of our soul." (Page 19).
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:33 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odala J Phiri
I would choose this book based on its beautiful cover and title that sweetly links with the cover and story inside. The genre is just fine for me and the blurb was attractive to me. Customer reviews encouraged me which came with a perfect rating. So was the editorial review. I would, therefore, sample it based on them. I like the truth in the book starting from the beginning which has been backed up by Bible verses. And I did not find anything to dislike. The way the author reminds me not to forget certain things in phases brings me to the realisation that I'm not self-made but I was created by God. After reading the first ten pages, I confirm that I'll continue reading this book and I'll it now. As a Christian, I think such knowledge of the truth will impact my life greatly. I did not find any errors in the first ten pages. It is well-edited. The OBC review has helped me decide on the book. It gave an overview of the book and its positivity of the book which left me with no option but to read it. The author deserves a hand of applause.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:32 am by Odala J Phiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The title "The Spiritual Treasure Trove" and the cover that shows a book and a box indicate that the book could be about spirituality. There are only eight Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary states that the book contains scripts and meditations. As I am not interested in this theme, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing topics followed by discussions and blanks to be filled. As I am not interested in this topic, I am not going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. I didn't like anything specifically about the book. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:30 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jen Nghishitende
Based on the book cover and title, I would have sampled this book outside of this programme. I am a Christian and am currently working on my relationship with the Lord through meditation and journaling. I think that this book will aid me in this. I thus decided to skip any other reviews, such as OBC, editorial and customer reviews and read the first ten pages. Having read them cemented that I would read the rest of this book. I like that the author has utilised the bible verses immensely.
Further, I thought the section on Life within boundaries was fascinating because, as a Christian, I have always questioned and perhaps been confused about the limitations I should live within. Again, I appreciate that the author provided immense bible citations to learn and draw from in this regard. I did not find any errors so far, and I do not have anything to suggest for improvement. I will go ahead and read this book in full.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:29 am by Jen Nghishitende.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jeremie Mondejar
Yes, I am a part of this program, and I sampled this book based on the title alone because it's self-explanatory about the way of Christian meditation. I already have the book, and I decided to read this book because it's a guidebook for my meditation, and I like the way it's structured. I like the biblical references, questions, and fill in the blank features of this book. I haven't found any errors. There's nothing I can recommend for improvement because the book flows well for those who like the book's structure. Lastly, I read the OBC review, which gives valuable information about the book and influenced my decision.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 4:10 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Owuamanam Eberechukwu
This Christian book emphasizes the Bible and studying the Bible in light of selected topics that can help the reader to better understand the Bible. In the first few pages, the author explored "doing what pleases God." He asked questions and raised discussion topics about the Old and New Testament presentations on this. Other key themes in the first ten pages include the day of wrath, Jesus' prophecy, and fulfilment. This book is a perfect guide for core and practising Christians. I like the essay, the thought-provoking questions, and the manner of writing. There is nothing I hate in the few pages I read. The pages I read were exceptionally well edited. The cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews are sufficient enough to make me sample the book.
However, I will not buy and read this book because I am not so much into religious books. I rarely read them and try to avoid them. Maybe I am scared of God. Who knows? This is my personal decision and was not influenced by the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews on OBC or not.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 3:45 am by Owuamanam Eberechukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stellah Chege
I would have read this book based on the cover page, title and OBC review only. I love studying God's word, and any type of material available to help me along is welcome. After sampling the first ten pages, I agreed with the author that using topics to study the Bible is the easiest approach. I did not see a blurb but it did not affect my decision to read this book. I did not find any errors and I believe it is professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement so far. I will buy and read the book.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 3:33 am by Stellah Chege.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Justine Ocsebio
I'm not a reader of spiritual books because I'm not very religious myself. In the sample that I read, I liked how the author shared some of his life stories as a child in the introduction. As a child, he already has so many questions about God and human existence. It was quite fascinating. I didn't find any errors or aspects that I didn't like. I'm not going to read the book because I'm not a religious person. I feel like I won't appreciate the author's insights as much as a religious person would. The OBC review also affected my decision.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 2:34 am by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The cover, the blurb, and the ratings on Amazon are fine, but according to the official review from OnlineBookClub, the book is not my cup of tea.
I like nothing in the bit I read. The editing is alright, and I have no suggestions for improvement. However, the book is purely for Christians, and the sample is filled with biblical references. Since I'm not interested in the Bible and God, the book is very boring. I have no intention of reading it, so I won't buy this book. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.
Error example: Indeed, He is the Savior of the world; there is salvation in no other name. (Ephesians 1:1-11, 1 John 4:14, Acts 4:12). -> The period after "in no other name" is not needed.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 2:29 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The eye-catching cover, the inspiring title, and the genre of this book made me eager to sample this book. Therefore, even outside the program called the first ten, I would have sampled this book. The editorial and customer reviews appeared too good for me to believe them. Fortunately, the OBC official review gave me an idea about this book and motivated me to read the sample. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that the book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the free sample. For example, the sentence, "May it never be said that we have forgotten the price paid and the One who paid the price for the purging of the sins of our soul." This sentence could be as follows. "May it never be said that we have forgotten the price paid and the One who paid the price for the purging of the sins of our souls." In this sample, I liked the fact that Jesus sacrificed his life for us to be at peace with God. From the sample, I learned that this book refers to important verses from Bible. This book appeared enlightening to me. I will buy and read this book today. My suggestion to the author is to elaborate more on the topics by giving real-life examples. A round of professional editing can make this book a great book.
First Ten review added on October 10, 2022, at 1:29 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
evraealtana
I don't like reading books on spiritual or religious topics, so I would not have chosen this book for myself based on the title, cover, blurb, and official OBC review. Because I want to be able to form my own opinion about books rather than be influenced by others’ opinions about them, I choose never to read editorial or customer reviews other than OBC reviews, and so I did not read any about this book, either. I liked the author's honest evaluation of his spiritual growth, which has not always been easy, and about his childhood home life struggles. I didn't like how many scriptural verses there were, particularly in the acknowledgements, where four of them were listed back-to-back; a Christian reader, however, may like that they are there. I didn't really understand the flow of the book, which seems more like a review guide than a book actually aiming to teach things to people who don't already have them memorized. After reading the sample, I find that I still don't want to read a religious book (not being a religious person), so I will not continue with this one. I found no errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 11:54 pm by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Damian Keyes
I would have sampled this book even if I was not in this program because it's a religious book and I am a Christian. The OBC official review intrigued me because I never heard of the Bible being taught this way. Unfortunately, after reading the required 10 pages I am not going to finish reading this book. I'm not well-versed in the Bible enough to do the fill-in-the-blank exercises. Í do love how the book is structured with a certain topic as the focus and relevant articles that go with that topic. I found no errors or anything I dislike about this book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 11:11 pm by Damian Keyes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
Despite the official OBC review and other published reviews, I did not intend to read the book because of its genre. I found no errors in the first ten pages. The author reflected on how his childhood days made him ponder about God. His mother was ill and his father used to be away for his service. He explained how this book is a result of his lifelong studies of the Bible. The first section started with the theme of remembering God every day. While I liked the notion of an easy guide to reading the Bible, this book was not my forte. I did not have enough knowledge to suggest improvements, either. Hence I decided not to read the whole book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 10:37 pm by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I have no interest in religion. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I liked the 'fill in the black' sections of the chapters. This is a unique way to approach bible study. That being said, I'm not religious nor do I read books about religion. The book looked well written and edited; there weren't any objective errors I picked up on. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read is to have an explanation of what to expect in the book somewhere in the beginning. We dove right into the 'topics' and I really didn't understand what was being discussed or expected of me. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 9:10 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, OBC review, cover, title, and customer reviews. There was not a blurb on the bookshelf page, and I didn’t see any editorial reviews. I don’t usually read books about the Bible, so this book didn’t seem like the book for me. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I liked that the format is consistent. However, I didn’t feel that much content was really provided, which could use some work. Each section has a brief paragraph about the theme. This is followed by listed scriptures to read and a few workbook-style, fill-in-the-blank exercises. I didn’t feel like there was much to read about aside from going back to the actual Bible sections. I don’t personally like flipping between resources. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 8:40 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I thought the cover and title of this book were average. After reading the blurb, I would not have sampled this book if it was not a part of the First Ten program because I do not read religious books. The first few pages were well edited. I thought the fill in the blank questions were a unique addition. I do agree that sometimes religion can be filled with paradoxes, but that is where faith comes in play. The official OBC review, customer reviews, and comments were all positive. I can see how this could be a good book for those who follow this religion. Personally, this book is not relevant to my life. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 8:23 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Garcia 555
I like the cover of this book, but based on the title, genre, and official OnlineBookClub review I read, I would not pick this book to read. I am not a fan religious books. I read the sample pages and did not see any editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I like how the author added discussion questions for each topic and writes in straightforward wording that is easy to understand. I have no suggestions for improvement. Readers looking for a simply worded description of the Bible would probably enjoy this book. The OBC review and the sample made it clear to me that this is not a book I would be interested in. It is too religious for me. I will not buy or read this book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 6:05 pm by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
Without the First Ten program I would not have been interested in reading a bible study book. I based my initial decision on the cover and synopsis. Neither the Amazon customer reviews nor the OnlineBookClub review influenced my decision.
Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement. What I liked best about the book was that it actually was completely set up to be a companion study guide for the bible. It had two sections dedicated to each topic.
The first topic was Don't Forget to Remember. In the first section on that topic there were three different biblical quotes about remembering. Followed by five discussion questions about remembering. Next were five fill-in the blank sentences. The next section had a little more than two pages of bible references that the reader had to actually look up in the bible in order to read them.
This book could be valuable for readers who were looking for a biblical study guide. This is not a book I personally have need of. I will not be reading the whole thing.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 5:41 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kenesha Latoya Fowler
I would have sampled this book based on the cover, title, blurb, reviews, and especially the genre. I have an interest in books which are centered around Bible teachings. This one provides an extensive list of scriptures relating to different topics. I liked that the author included questions for discussing the topics covered (e.g. prayer, doing what pleases God, prophecy). I thought the fill-in-the-blank sections were a nice touch; this should be fun for people who like to test their knowledge about scripture. I didn't like that the author used only the King James Version, though; this one can sometimes be hard to read and understand. But this is not such a big problem since the reader can just choose whichever version they prefer to use. I didn't find any errors in the sample. Finally, I think the book is great, but I'm not going to buy and read it, at least not now. I have several other similar books I'm using at the moment. Maybe I'll get it some time in the future. The OBC review was informative, but it didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 4:05 pm by Kenesha Latoya Fowler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover is beautiful, but I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore because this is clearly a book with a religious message, a genre I do not read. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give an excellent description of the book, but confirm that this is a Bible-related book. Therefore do they not convince me to read the sample. The sample is well edited, but I found the writing style confusing. There are too many Bible excerpts, college-style exercises with blanks to be filled in, and too many questions left unanswered. The book looks perfect for a Bible class, but not for a relaxing read. Although I am a Christian, I do not feel the need to carry on reading and answering all the discussion questions that the author asks. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 3:09 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tonia Freeman
I would not normally read this book if it wasn't for this group as I don't like religious books. After the first ten pages, I don’t want to read anymore. I don’t agree with most of what I read. Especially on page 63, The Empty Chair. While I agree that I hold memories of passed loved ones dear, I was also very angry at God. How could he take her. I did not find comfort in religion after the loss of my Mom. I did not find errors in the sample I read at least. I also did not read the OBC review or any other because I knew it would not change my mind about this book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 3:06 pm by Tonia Freeman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
I read nonfiction books. While the blurb of this book sounded interesting after reading the sample, I decided not to read this book. It feels like a study book that theology students would learn from, and I wasn't impressed with how it was presented. I was confused by questions that seemed repetitive and school-like. I didn't notice any errors, and I wouldn't change anything about it. It is not a book for me, but other readers might enjoy it. There is an Official Onlinebookclub review of this book and many five-star Amazon reviews.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 12:34 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title perfectly harmonize with the content, so I think this book should appeal to the target audience. As a whole, I like readings associated with the Bible. The blurb comments that this book relies on the things written rather than the varied and diverse opinions and viewpoints of men. The customer reviews are very flattering. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates this collection of biblical themes is a valuable guide for Christians seeking a better understanding of the Word of God. Based on these aspects, I might take a look at this book. The first ten pages present the author's intention to organize the Scriptures by topics to facilitate reading and comprehension. Matters that concern many Christians were addressed, such as “purging of the sins of our souls” and “life within boundaries.” It is appealing that the book includes sections to reinforce knowledge, like “Discussion Questions” and “Fill in The Blanks.” Although they may appear like homework, I think it is helpful to study biblical topics effectively. The references to the Bible are so numerous I think it would be problematic to revise them all while reading. What I read was interesting, and I believe the author has extensive knowledge and experience to impart. However, I think it is difficult to follow the pattern of so many references to the Bible. Therefore, I will not read the rest of the book. The editing looked remarkable since I didn't see any details to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believed could be improved.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 12:04 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I would not have chosen this book based on the cover or the title. I noticed that the cover on the OBC bookshelf differed from the Amazon cover. The blurb had some pretentious synonyms, which convinced me not to read the book. The OBC review miscapitalized the word Bible several times, which bothered me. There was a capitalization error at 16% of the sample, "...about [Whom] God said..." I was confused by the format of the book as it felt more like a teacher's edition rather than a book for self-instruction. I am not going to finish reading the book because I am not interested in a list of topics to study. I do not have any suggestions for the author. There was nothing I liked about the book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 10:29 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
Although I found the cover captivating, I would not have read the book based on the genre, title, and Amazon blurb. As I am not fond of non-fiction books, reading the first ten pages and the OBC review did not convince me to read the rest of the book. Throughout his book, the author includes more than 200 topics to help you better understand the Bible. There was nothing that I disliked about the first ten pages, and I especially liked the author's expository writing style as he highlighted how we must remember the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us. I only found three minor errors that were not distracting. For example, I noticed a missing closing quotation mark at the end of the following sentence: "'Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (page 17) Personally, nothing needs to be improved. Despite the lack of editorial reviews, the book has received many positive customer reviews; therefore, those who want to know God through His Word and seek His guidance and wisdom will find this book interesting.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 5:29 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rita Nuncia
I would have read this book without being a part of the first ten programs because of the title, genre, customer reviews, and the OnlineBookClub review. They all praised the book and stated how helpful they found the contents of the book. I found no blurb. After reading the first ten pages, I would love to read the book because the first few pages interested me, and I also found it very helpful. I enjoyed reading the available sample up till the end. The first few pages seem professionally edited because I didn't see any errors in them. What I like the most is the fill-in-the-gap session in each chapter of the book. It helped me check my knowledge of the Bible. I have no suggestions for improvements. There is an OnlineBookClub official review. It did affect my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 5:02 am by Rita Nuncia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vidhi Adhikari
The book makes a decent first impression with it's generic cover design, detailed description, simple title and multiple customer and OBC reviews. Since I'm not a big fan of books about faith, I was excited to read the sample. Sadly, the book was not available for purchase on Amazon in India, neither did it offer a free sample. Had the sample been available, I would have been happy to go through the first ten pages, check for grammatical errors and give constructive criticism. But as I'm compelled to give feedback without actually going through the book and only relying on the details I found on Amazon, I may not be interested in reading the book as the genre was not of my liking.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 1:17 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. The Amazon reviews did not affect my decision. I am not interested in spirituality and religion at all. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I would not change anything. Instead, I just do not think this book is for me because of its subject matter. I do not have a Bible where I can reference everything but I do think that this book would be good for those who are learning because the formatting was clean and easy to follow. It was professionally edited. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 1:11 am by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
I seldom read faith-based books. Hence, I will skip this outside the program. The cover, title, and blurb consistently reflect the contents. Customer reviews are positive. After sampling, I appreciate the comprehensive collection of topics. For improvement, I suggest organizing the contents into themes and then dividing the book into sections based on these groups. Grouping the contents into more general themes helps navigate the book. It will be easier to start looking for the main themes and then searching for more specific topics. For example, the general theme is family. Listed under this are the relevant topics. Likewise, linking the topics with other related themes will be helpful. It provides cross-referencing. For editing issues, I did not notice any from the sampled pages.
The official OnlineBookClub review is enthusiastic. But I will pass.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 12:44 am by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, OnlineBookClub review, or other reviews because I am simply not a fan of theological/biblical books. After sampling the book, I will not read all of it because of the same reason mentioned previously. My favorite part of what I read was the questions given by the author to the readers. I thought the author was going to spoon-feed the readers, but I was glad he didn't. The questions were thought-provoking but without being overly complicated. I can't think of any way to improve the book, and it appears professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 9, 2022, at 12:05 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IconReviews
I am a spiritual person so this is a book I would read based on the cover, blurb, customer reviews, genre, title, and the official OnlineBookClub review. This is the perfect study guide for Christians wanting to improve their walk with God. I like the 'fill in the blank' section that the author used to test a reader's memory. I will be reading this book because I think it was a valuable one. It was professionally edited and needs no modifications.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 8:45 pm by IconReviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
Upon perusing the title’s official OBC review and Amazon page, I decided not to purchase the non-fiction book. I am not intrigued by the way the title is structured. I am not fascinated by the different Christian topics that the book will discuss. I honestly would rather just read the Bible instead of this title. Sampling the book did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the sample had me wanting to pore over the rest of the title. The first ten pages include the first four chapters. What I liked most is the addition of discussion questions for each section. I was not able to note any errors in the Amazon sample; the book seems professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 8:43 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
I would have sampled this book because the focus on Biblical passages is of great interest to me. I like the abundance of scriptures for further looking into each topic that is provided. However, I found the explanations of each topic did not provide a thorough explanation for me. There were no errors in what I read and believe the book is professionally edited. I would suggest more information on each topic so anyone could understand the book. The OBC review did not influence my decision to further read the book. There was nothing online to alter my decision. I am passing on this book because I had issues grasping the full concept of some of the chapters.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 7:43 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
As a Christian and avid Bible reader, I would have sampled this book even if I were not part of this program based on the title, cover, genre, and blurb. I appreciated the author’s approach to let scripture interpret scripture, and I also respected the time he has spent studying the Word. The table of contents revealed a vast number of topics, and I initially envisioned starting with the ones that interested me after I finished sampling the book. I will say, my Bible app got quite a workout reading the first ten pages. I prefer the NIV version to the King James because I find it easier to understand, so even if the book provided the verse, I may have considered looking it up in the NIV if it wasn’t clear. That would not have been a problem when reading this book, however.
The difficulty in my reading experience was the sheer volume of scriptural references without framing. Although the scriptures are grouped by topic, it would be nice to have an introduction to the context of the various passages listed. Also, it would have been helpful to have more guidance about the verses in the fill-in-the-blank section. I appreciate the author’s effort, but I will not finish this book. It is too hard to glean the information from the scriptures using the format presented. I am not sure if the book was professionally edited. I noticed a few grammatical errors in the first ten pages. One example was on page 14. Given the flow, I believe the period is not needed after “wisdom”: “I now have the peace, knowledge, and wisdom. God provides for those who diligently seek him through the study of His Word.” Two other examples are on page 17. The scriptural reference is missing in “Don’t Forget to Remember (3),” and discussion point 5 has an invalid reference: “Explain John 14:26. 657.”
Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor any other editorial reviews or customer reviews influenced my decision. The information is in this book if readers want to dig for it or if they want to pull out parts for a Bible study discussion. A suggestion for improvement would be to include references in the fill-in-the-blank exercises.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 7:41 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Had it not been for this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews did not grab my attention. The book does seem to be well-edited in this sample.
While reading the sample, I really liked how the author took a lot of care in putting together this comprehensive text that splits studying the Bible into specific scripture topics. I can’t imagine how much time and effort it took to list each spot that each scripture topic is discussed in the Bible, both Old and New Testament. In addition, I like the fun fill-in-the-blank sections! Although, I feel the questions being asked are more “right-there”. For example, “In what passages of Scripture did Moses speak concerning Jesus?” Though it’s good to have these types of questions, they don’t really dig deeper into the meaning of the text.
This book has been reviewed by the OBC review team and was rated 4/4. This review did not sway my opinion of the book. In general, I am not looking to read the Bible. Therefore, I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 7:38 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kira Bonita Reece
I think this is a valuable resource for Christians wanting to perfect their walk with God. I would read it based on the cover, blurb, title, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. The sample was professionally edited and needs no improvements. I liked the questions the author posed after each section. I will be reading this book because I think it is a good study guide.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 7:01 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Amy Luman
I won’t be reading this, mostly because I found an app that delivers daily devotionals to me. In addition, the whole self-help thing is not for me, except for a very few. The cover is interesting, and the title blends seamlessly into that. What I could find that were titled "editorial reviews" were just notes by him and then there was a blurb about him. There weren't many customer reviews, but all gave it high marks. The OBC review said that this was well edited, and I agree. I like that Mr. Smith labels the sections within the chapters with the titles of the chapters, like Don’t Forget to Remember, Life Within Boundaries, Servants Serve, etc. I like that he has so many Bible verse references to go along with each chapter. I wish, however, that he had included more references to his own life and experiences.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 5:36 pm by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Andrada Madalina
"The Spiritual Treasure Trove" by Charles R Smith is a non-fiction book about meditation and Bible topics. I liked the colorful book cover and found it suitable for its catchy title because of the treasure chest's illustration. I did not find any editorial review for this book, but I sampled it because of its descriptive blurb, positive customer reviews, and excellent Official OnlineBookClub review. The book seems exceptionally well edited. I did not discover any error while reading its first ten pages. I would not improve anything on this book because I liked the chapters' structure and appreciated that Charles R Smith provided discussion questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises after every Scripture reference. Nevertheless, I will not buy and read the whole book because I am not a fan of books about Christianity and prayer.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 5:05 pm by Andrada Madalina.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I'm not a fan of religious books, so the book's appearance, blurb, OBC review, and Amazon reviews couldn't convince me. This program was my main motivation for sampling this book. For someone who isn't interested in Christian books, reading this book was pretty difficult. The author offers a subject of discussion, giving the places where the reader can find the quotes. After that, there are some exercises regarding those quotes. Since the Bible is not a book I am very familiar with, I couldn't/didn't want to search for the quotes. I leave them for the people who are actually interested in learning the biblical teachings. It seems to me that the list of quotes is very long. Maybe it would be an improvement to offer the quotes in the book (with some comments from the author.) I expect that it would attract even more people. I have no intention of reading this book because I see no reason to do that. The editing seemed professionally done.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 4:23 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If The Spiritual Treasure Trove hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have read the sample anyway because I like reading books about the Bible. Even before reading the customer reviews, I knew I would want to check it out based on the description. I liked the fact that the book is written in The King James Version; I find this version very poetic when it comes to describing the stories in the Bible. I did not find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and there are no improvements I can think of for this book. An official OnlineBookClub review exists for this title, but I knew I would want to read the rest of the book before reading this review. Reading books about the Bible appeals to me greatly, and I feel this book would be a great fit for me.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 3:39 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chinazo Anozie
I knew I wouldn’t be interested in this book from the title, cover, description, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I’m not a fan of non-fiction, so I will not buy and read this book. However, I liked that the author included discussion questions and fill in the blanks as this can help with memorising Bible verses. This book seems professionally edited because I didn’t notice any errors from the few pages I read. I don’t think anything needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 3:32 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sushan Ekanayake
The Spiritual Treasure Trove by Charles R Smith belongs to the Non-Fiction genre. The blurb revealed that this was a collection of biblical scriptures, which I am not in favour of reading. The title and the cover page revealed the same. I did not see any editorial reviews, but the customer reviews spoke highly about the book. If I had not been a part of this program, I would not have sampled this book based on the above facts.
Then I read the first ten pages, which included several references to biblical scriptures under various topics, followed by essay type questions and 'fill in the blanks' type questions. I did not like the need to look at another book while reading this book to see to what actually this book is referring me to. Anyway, since the purpose of the book was studying and meditating, the categorizing of the scriptures is important.
Anyway, I decided not to continue reading this book after reading the first ten pages since I did not feel like reading a set of references. I did not see any errors in the first ten pages, and I did not see any area that could be improved. I saw the official OBC review. Although it appreciated the book, it was inadequate to change my decision.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 2:48 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'The Spiritual Treasure Trove' is a non-fiction book by Charles R Smith. The author provides us with thought-provoking questions from different sections of the Bible with the aim of helping us to walk in the path of God. I like how Smith gives an introduction for every section. This creates the premise for discussion. I did not find any errors. I would not change anything. The OBC review is insightful. However, I will skip this book as the subject matter does not interest me now. For the same reason, I would have skipped this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 2:46 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ohna Martin
This is a book I would love to finish. even if I was not part of this program. I love this genre. The cover looks so peaceful and the name invites you to dig deep into the book for the treasure of it's content. I like the fact that everything the author states is backed up out of the Bible, I like the fact that The New King James Bible was used. There is nothing I disliked about this book. And I have no suggestions for the author. I found no spelling or grammar errors. No other review, OBC or otherwise, or blurbs influenced my decision, it was solely based on the first ten pages of this book.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 2:44 pm by Ohna Martin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shelby Ayres
The title and the cover fit well together as well as the genre. The blurb accurately described the book. The lack of reviews is slightly off-putting. Within the first ten pages, I found no grammatical or spelling errors. I liked how thorough the book was; there were multiple scriptures for each topic. I disliked that you had to have a bible to follow along with the book. The Online Book Club review I read spoke on the number of topics that were covered in the book. I am not a religious person, nor do I read or have read the bible. Therefore, I will be passing on this book.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 1:40 pm by Shelby Ayres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelsey Roy
I was not initially interested in the cover page or title of “The Spiritual Treasure Trove.” The book appeared to be a non-fiction religious book, which did not intrigue me enough to read. The blurb confirms the Christian non-fiction genre but increased my interest by identifying the Bible study nature of the book. The OBC review makes me excited to read the book. I would love to have a book that assists with my study of the Bible, organized by topics.
I found no errors in the sample pages. I enjoy the way the author organized the book by topics. Each portion has relayed verses, discussion, study questions, and an exercise. I struggle a bit with the King James version of the Bible. I also wish for more discussion and guidance within the book for those less familiar with the Bible. The author has done an excellent job, and my only criticisms are likely due to my beginner status in the study of the Bible. My only personal recommendation is to use an easier-to-understand interpretation of the Bible and to add more discussion. I will continue to read this book to enhance my daily Bible study.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 1:01 pm by Kelsey Roy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
The cover is nicely done and certainly attention-grabbing. But the Official OBC Review did nothing to encourage me to read this book. I enjoy books of biblical analysis and history, but not being a Christian, this isn't the kind of book I like reading. I read no other reviews or blurbs. After reading the first ten pages, I knew I would continue no further. This is not a genre of interest. I firmly believe that the Bible is not divinely inspired but the work of thoughtful men. I also do not believe that Jesus was God. With that in mind, there really wasn't anything about this book that I liked other than the author designing it as a teaching method with questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises. I believe that the book was professionally edited, as I found no obvious errors. I have no recommendations for improvement, as I assume there will be those who enjoy this book.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 12:38 pm by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover is appropriate and a little less boring than most religious covers. I don't really get the blurb because I don't know what "allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture" means. And I'm not much of an organized religion person. This is why, despite the high ratings, I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages didn't change my mind. The book seems to be more of a reference book, so I can't really say I enjoyed it. I'm not even sure I understood much besides the acknowledgments. I don't intend to text my relatives with Bible quotes, either, as the author suggests. I find that pushy. I wish the discussion questions had answers so I could understand. If I could answer these questions, I wouldn't read a "Bible-for-dummies" kind of book. The "Fill in the Blanks" parts are also useless for me because I don't intend to memorize the Bible. Not in English at least, since it's not my native language. I guess it's nice that the book was a family effort. And I didn't find editing mistakes. Other than that, I don't know what I can say on the positive side. I suggest making the blurb clearer since not all readers get religious abstract statements. The official OBC review didn't change my mind.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 12:22 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because I´m not a fan of non-fiction. I'm not religious, I don't believe in the Bible and I don't meditate, so this book is absolutely not for me. I like that this book is practical, and that it had exercises and discussion questions. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official OnlineBookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 12:03 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
The title and cover art of this book tells me exactly what this book is about. The cover art is attractive and catches the eye. It will easily attract its intended audience. I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone because I don’t have an interest in Bible study. The onlinebookclub.org review that I read gave the book a perfect score. It recommended it to readers with an interest in studying the Bible. It also noted that it was exceptionally edited without any errors. I agree with that statement because I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages. So, I believe it was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The OBC review was very thorough and interesting, so I didn’t need to read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. Even though the review was very positive, it didn’t increase my interest in the book because I don’t have an interest in Bible study. The first ten pages begin with some discussion about the purpose of the book and how the author encourages studying the Bible. He even described getting an A+ on an English paper he wrote about the Bible. I agree that this is an important topic but I have my own religious beliefs and don’t think I would enjoy reading this book. For that reason, I will not finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 10:52 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
I would not have checked out this book because the cover and title reveal that it is a religious book, and I avoid them because I have my own beliefs and interpretations of the Bible. The blurb, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and the OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision not to read the book. I like that the author includes discussion questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises to help the reader understand the Bible. However, the brief narrative before them did not have enough information to provide answers. Instead of giving references that readers have to look up, I recommend that the author provide the text. The first ten pages appear professionally edited, as I did not see any errors. I will not finish reading the free copy of the book because I do not enjoy looking up references to see what the author is talking about. It makes me feel like I am reading two books at once.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 10:20 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Danielle Briggs
I do not think I would have read this outside this program, as I am not very religious. Even though I think Christian readers might enjoy this book for its variety of study and meditation techniques, I would not read the rest of the book since I would not find it helpful or enlightening. I did not find any errors in what I had read. I liked how each section was clearly separated, and they each had a variety of verses, fill-in-the-blanks, and questions for the reader to answer. The set up of each chapter/section was confusing to me, and could be clearer in helping the reader understand what they are supposed to do. The OBC review helped me understand the overall book more, but it did not affect my overall decision to not read further.
First Ten review added on October 8, 2022, at 9:33 am by Danielle Briggs.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 17%
The Spiritual Treasure Trove earned a score of 17%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 17% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for The Spiritual Treasure Trove
